Guest Reviews

Our family was on your Southern islands cruise in the Galapagos which departed on December 24th on the Eric. I just wanted to take a minute to tell you what an outstanding job everyone did on our ship. I was incredibly impressed with the forethought Ecoventura put into placing guests on our boat. We had five families – 10 adults and 10 kids. The kids bonded immediately and became their own posse for the whole trip, taking over the big table for meals, and commandeering their own panga and naturalist for each excursion. This gave them the opportunity to have the explorations geared toward them, while the adults could hear a more adult version given by our own naturalist. AND, I absolutely trusted that my 13 year old was safe and in very good hands the whole time, so I knew I didn’t have to worry about a thing. Both Fabricio and Jose were totally wonderful! Totally! Their command of facts, information and captivating tidbits was exactly what we were looking for, and expanded our knowledge and appreciation of the Galapagos exponentially. Because of this, we will be much more effective ambassadors when we are telling our tales of the trip. And they were funny, funny, funny! The best! Other than Jose and Fabricio, the most contact with crew we experienced was with Maria and Abel. Maria was like vapor – I’ve never seen anything like it. Our room was always spotless, but we never saw her! We turned it into a game of trying to catch Maria at work. Impossible! And what a smile! Abel was (I’m sorry to have to use this term), adorable. He has the patience of Job, and made sure we were v e r y well fed and tended to. What a sweet, sweet man. I think the thing that impressed me the most with everyone is that they were so genuine and authentic. I’m sure it’s wearing to deal with passengers with such different and high expectations, but you never would have known it with this crew.

The communication with your Miami office was seamless, professional, friendly and prompt – they made everything so easy, and I was confident we would have a wonderful trip from the get-go. This was an expensive adventure for us, but we all came back thinking that we got a huge bang for the buck. It was an adventure of a lifetime and one we will always remember, and a lot of that had to do with the people of Ecoventura – and the creatures of the Galapagos of course!

Thank you again,

Fabulous Trip!Anne B, MY Eric, December 2017

We had the pleasure of traveling to the Galapagos on the Eric from November 19-27, 2017 and had a wonderful trip. We experienced the Galapagos in 2002 and wanted to return this year with our 17 and 15 year old granddaughters to show them this amazing place. The trip exceeded our expectations!

We can’t say enough about the staff! They were all very pleasant and helpful and made everything as easy as possible. Although the rooms were small as expected, they met all our needs with nice size bathrooms with plenty of hot water and ample space for our bags. The boat was very clean with ample dining space and meeting space and a nice upper deck to enjoy our downtime (which was really quite limited due to all the wonderful activities). While we had limited involvement with the crew that operated the boat, we wanted to comment on the six people that we did have contact with.

First of all, the naturalists, Fabricio Carbo and Jose Benavides, were fantastic. Their knowledge of the Galapagos, the animals and their adaptation to the environment, the history of the islands, and their communication skills were terrific. Because of them, we all came away much more educated about this amazing place. But along with those wonderful attributes, they both had great personalities. The boat’s group included six children being the ages of 8-12. Fabricio and Jose switched which group they would lead (one with the children and the other with the adults including our 15 and 17 granddaughters) and did a great job of keeping both groups entertained and informed. On our last night, they reviewed what we had done each day and what animals we had seen. The kids were amazing, remembering exactly what we did each day (a panga ride through the mangroves, a hike in the afternoon, snorkeling later, etc.) and recalling all the animals we had seen! That speaks to the ability of Fabricio and Jose to share their knowledge with all ages. The nightly briefings about the next day’s schedule were also really good, letting us know the activities and timing thereof. They also had a very much appreciated focus on our safety, making sure that the getting on/off the pangas occurred with no problems. We have been fortunate to travel to many different locations and feel that Fabricio and Jose were some of the finest guides/naturalists that we have encountered! Every visitor to the Galapagos would be blessed to have them as their naturalists.

Another special part of the trip was the food prepared by the chefs, Henry and Ricardo, and the service provided by Abel. The quality and variety of food at breakfast, lunch and dinner was amazing. From the appetizers, to the soups and salads, to the main entrees and to the deserts, everything was wonderful. Our compliments to them, especially when you realize we were on a boat for the entire time and had no chance to run to the market that day! Not only did we celebrate Thanksgiving with a complete turkey dinner on the Eric, our 15 year old granddaughter and Roger shared a common birthday on the second night aboard. We treated with a beautiful, tasty cake, and were also serenaded by the staff as they sang Happy Birthday in Spanish and English. A birthday celebration that a 15 year old will remember forever. Abel was also terrific, serving the food and drinks with a cheerful and helpful personality. It was amazing to see Abel serve the food with the rough waters and the rocking-and-rolling boat….with never an accident.

We also want to acknowledge Maria, who kept our rooms clean and was very helpful and friendly with any of our needs. Her extended hand and smiling face as we got off the pangas were a nice, warm welcome back aboard the Eric.

A wonderful trip to a special place that was even enhanced by the entire staff! Thank you Ecoventura and the Eric for a terrific time!

A wonderful trip to a special place that was even enhanced by the entire staff!Roger and Laura B, MY Eric, November 2017

Dear Ecoventura Team,

Thank you for making our visit to the Galapagos, Oct. 22 – 29, aboard the Eric (Iguana Deck #10) a treasured memory. We chose to travel aboard the Ecoventura Eric for two reasons. We wanted the small group ratio of 10 passengers to one naturalist and we needed a three person cabin for our family of three. A friend and a relative each recommended the company they chose citing the wonderful wildlife experience they had. Travel companies assured us we would enjoy the wildlife and beauty of the Galapagos on any of the ships.

Our experience aboard the Eric exceeded our expectations.

We enjoyed the variety of the delicious food prepared by your talented chefs and anticipated the beautiful dinner presentation. Abel was friendly and caring and attentive to my dietary restrictions. With his direction I felt confident that I could enjoy my food without repercussions. The scheduled activities were carefully paced to maximize our interaction with nature. We enjoyed the overwhelming beauty of the islands on our hikes, panga rides in the mangroves, and on our snorkeling trips with our expert naturalists Fredy and Pepe. They exuded joy when sharing their wealth of knowledge. Their patience when answering our many questions was greatly appreciated. Our panga drivers Eduardo and Luis were admired masters at maneuvering for the best view and managing choppy water for safe landings and departures.

Maria was greatly appreciated for her cheerfulness and helpfulness when we departed and returned from our adventures. She impeccably maintained our cabins as if by magic.

Captain Ivan and Angel’s warm smiles and helpfulness were appreciated.

To sum up our experience with the crew, I can say that we felt that they worked well together and seemed happy to be there. The piece we felt from that made our experience very special. It is my hope that this is a reflection of being well compensated for dedicated service to Ecoventura. Our group of 19 passengers formed lasting bonds during our cruise. We enjoyed the conversations aboard and sharing the excitement of the wonders of the Galapagos. We greatly appreciated the “disconnect” from wi-fi and television and felt that “disconnect” promoted interaction which contributed to us feeling like a family by the end of the cruise. Having Gaston aboard for part of our cruise was an added bonus. He was evidence of your company’s commitment to excellence. I feel confident in recommending your company to family and friends because I feel assured that they will have the same quality of service and experience that my husband, daughter, and I had aboard the Eric.

Thank you,

Our cruise on the Eric, October 2017Sandra W, MY Eric, October 2017

We were very well taken care of every step of the way, from the hotel transfers to accommodations with food onboard the Origin, to help with getting into wet suits, to wild and wonderful facts about Giant Tortoises.

The captain and crew were wonderfully pleasant and accommodating, even when folks were demanding, ill, or just in need of a different kind of wine. From the panga drivers’ uncanny ability to spot sharks to the various crew members’ good humor and playful spirit, every thing on board The Origin was top flight. It was hard to say goodbye!

I came away with a thorough understanding of why the Galapagos are unique on this planet, and why we must support research in the region and protect the islands and the natural park.

We were very well taken care of every step of the wayMV Origin - Suzanne L (September 2017)

It was a dream come true! A top notch professional crew amazingly attentive to all our whims and interests (and our group was aged 7-72!). Incredibly knowledgeable, intelligent, articulate and fun naturalist guides (Pepe B and Pepe C). Plus a good natured, accessible and helpful Captain Peter who even changed the Eric course midstream so that we could better follow and view breaching and diving whales. The cuisine far exceeded our expectations – two enlightened cooks able to accommodate all our tastes – even on short order one day when we bought pounds of fresh yellow fin tuna at the Santa Cruz fish market for them to prepare as an extra dinner treat! The equipment (pangas,wet suits, snorkel gear, kayaks and paddle boards) all in good shape and we sure gave them a lot of use!

What was also unexpected was the lack of “congestion” at the islands – some days we barely saw another boat or tour group. We praise the Galapagos National Park for all their preservation efforts! And to Ecoventura for their commitment to sustainability and conservation – one of the main reasons we chose Ecoventura!

Linda M.

It was a dream come true!MY Eric June 2017

We have just completed a week on board the ‘Letty’ touring the Galapagos and I just wanted to write you a short note to say thank you so much for a wonderful week. Everything went perfectly from the time we made an initial inquiry back in January, including many helpful emails from you and your colleagues especially as we arranged our own flights. On board the Letty things were fantastic. In addition to the natural wonders that words can’t describe, all of the staff on board made the week the best organised tour that we have ever been on. I’m somewhat reluctant to mention individual staff members because I feel this can devalue the hard work of many staff who work behind the scenes to make everyone’s stay enjoyable. Nevertheless I feel that our two naturalists, Fabricio and Christian, deserve a special mention. They worked tirelessly all week to make our stay such a memorable trip. Both of them are not only very knowledgeable about the natural world but they present this knowledge in an entertaining and unique manner. They were able to interact well with all passengers from young children through to older adults. We feel extremely lucky to have had these two as our guides for the week. They certainly made a great team! Thank you again for such a wonderful week. Regards M. Jones

On board the Letty things were fantasticMY Letty June 2017

The Origin was beautiful and so comfortable and had the perfect amount of cabins, and people which make the trip very unique! All of the employees were remarkable!

Our guides on the Islands were fantastic. Gabriela (Gaby) was so awesome, and knowledeable. She was so much fun to be with and listen to everyday. This makes a big difference when you are entertaining kids!

We did a lot of internet research before committing to Ecoventura and we were not disappointed. I had heard from a previous contact about how wonderful they are in creating a fabulous “bucket list” trip, so we had high expectations. Our group included 4 couples who knew each other, and the new friends we made fit in well. Credit to the naturalist guides Jose and Erica for making the trip so special. Our captain looked like he came from “central casting” and met each returning panga trip with a smile, as the barman handed out snacks and fresh juice. The cabins (we were on dolphin deck) are small but kept in superb shape by the steward. The food was fantastic. The incredible animals are all reviewed by everyone else and I can’t add much. I think the small boat (compared to bigger cruisers) must make a real difference in the level of attention and personal enjoyment. (“Orcas – everyone to the pangas!”) We spent a lot of time between adventures and watched the sunset every night with a single malt. My wife and I have been privileged to travel the world and this was definitely one of the best trips ever. If you can afford it, GO! You will fall in love with the uninhabited islands and come to “resent” being dragged back to civilization at the end of your week(s). M. Glode

I have been privileged to travel the world and this was one of the best trips ever!Eric - February 2017

There just aren’t words to describe how wonderful Ivan and Malena made our trip. The naturalist guides were SO good. I have graduate degrees in Biology and have worked as a University professor and in the corporate science education industry for years…The level of knowledge, enthusiasm, and patience exhibited by our guides was INCREDIBLE. The variety of activity and ecological experiences was awesome! Thank you for an amazing, life changing trip! Holly

Thank you for an amazing, life changing trip!MY Eric, February 2017

My husband and I traveled with the Eric in February for a magical week in the Galapagos!! Thank you for having such wonderful crew, staff, kitchen help, cleaning person (Maria) – and especially the world’s best guides. We truly had an amazing adventure. I think everyone went out of their way to be helpful, kind, knowledgable, and make our trip wonderful. Thank you. S. Colby